Page 3257 - Week 11 - Thursday, 12 September 1991
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MS FOLLETT: I thank Mr Stevenson. To the best of my knowledge, Mr Speaker, there is no pairing in place, and the reason for that is pretty clear. It is because we have a minority government. For us to give a pair to the other 12 of you would not mean a great deal. We would still be well and truly outnumbered. Nevertheless, I am aware that there have been informal arrangements between a couple of parties in this Assembly from time to time when one member has been absent. There is no formal pairing arrangement and I do not know that any is contemplated.
MR STEVENSON: I ask a supplementary question. Do those couple of parties happen to be the Labor and Liberal parties?
MS FOLLETT: On the one occasion when there has been an arrangement, to my knowledge, Mr Speaker, those were the two parties involved.
Domestic Violence
MS MAHER: My question is to the Chief Minister. Can the Chief Minister give an explanation about the Domestic Violence Consultative Committee meeting that I am calling next month? I have written to a number of representatives from the Government, public servants, who attended the meeting I had earlier this year, and they have said that because of their position they cannot attend my meeting.
MS FOLLETT: No, I cannot give an explanation, Mr Speaker. Until I got Ms Maher's press release at this very moment I was unaware that she had called a meeting next month. Public servants, of course, are free to do what they wish in their own private time. If they choose to participate or not to participate in a meeting Ms Maher has called, and the reason they may wish to put forward or, indeed, whether they wish to put forward a reason at all, are entirely matters for them.
MS MAHER: I have a supplementary question. Ms Follett may have misunderstood. I sent the letter in the capacity of their position within the public service, not as a private member of the community. They have said that they are politically not allowed to attend.
MS FOLLETT: Mr Speaker, I misunderstood Ms Maher's question. I had not realised that she had invited them to attend meetings in their official capacity. I believe that Mr Connolly has some information on that. I might get him to answer it.
MR CONNOLLY: I am prepared to advise the house that I have, indeed, instructed certain officers of my department, through my office - that is, through the welfare bureau - not to attend Ms Maher's meeting. Ms Maher seems to assume that she is still in government and can direct
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